Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That—

(a) if consideration of the following bills has not concluded by 1.30 pm on Thursday, 16 May 2024, the questions on all remaining stages of the bills be put after the attendance of a minister in relation to the estimates manual:

(i) Modern Slavery Amendment (Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner) Bill 2023,

(ii) Administrative Review Tribunal Bill 2024 and related bills,

(iii) Fair Work Amendment Bill 2024,

(iv) Parliamentary Business Resources Legislation Amendment (Review Implementation and Other Measures) Bill 2024,

(v) Agriculture Legislation Amendment (Modernising Administrative Processes) Bill 2024,

(vi) National Cancer Screening Register Amendment Bill 2024,

(vii) Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Military Invalidity Payments Means Testing) Bill 2024,

(viii) Attorney-General's Portfolio Miscellaneous Measures Bill 2023,

(ix) Public Service Amendment Bill 2023, and

(x) Health Legislation Amendment (Removal of Requirement for a Collaborative Arrangement) Bill 2024;

(b) paragraph (a) operate as a limitation of debate under standing order 142;

(c) following consideration of the bills, a message from the House of Representatives concerning the Treasury Laws Amendment (Support for Small Business and Charities and Other Measures) Bill 2023 be reported, and the question that the Senate not insist on its amendments be proposed from the chair and be put immediately;

(d) divisions may take place after 4.30 pm for the purposes of the bills and consideration of the message only;

(e) after the consideration of the bills and the message has concluded, general business be considered till not later than 5.30 pm; and

(f) the sitting of the Senate then be suspended till the ringing of the bells (at approximately 8 pm).

I seek leave to move an amendment to the motion, which has been circulated.

Leave granted.

I move:

That—

(a) if consideration of the following bills has not concluded by 1.30 pm on Thursday, 16 May 2024, the questions on all

remaining stages of the bills be put after the attendance of a minister in relation to the estimates manual:

(i) Modern Slavery Amendment (Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner) Bill 2023,

(ii) Administrative Review Tribunal Bill 2024 and related bills,

(iii) Fair Work Amendment Bill 2024,

(iv) Parliamentary Business Resources Legislation Amendment (Review Implementation and Other Measures) Bill 2024,

(v) Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Legislation Amendment (Safety and Other Measures) Bill 2024,

(vi) New Vehicle Efficiency Standard Bill 2024 New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2024,

(vii) Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Accountability and Fairness) Bill 2023,

(viii) Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards and Other Measures) Bill 2023,

(ix) Agriculture Legislation Amendment (Modernising Administrative Processes) Bill 2024,

(x) National Cancer Screening Register Amendment Bill 2024,

(xi) Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Military Invalidity Payments Means Testing) Bill 2024,

(xii) Attorney-General's Portfolio Miscellaneous Measures Bill 2023,

(xiii) Public Service Amendment Bill 2023, and

(xiv) Health Legislation Amendment (Removal of Requirement for a Collaborative Arrangement) Bill 2024;

(b) paragraph (a) operate as a limitation of debate under standing order 142;

(c) following consideration of the bills, a message from the House of Representatives concerning the Treasury Laws Amendment (Support for Small Business and Charities and Other Measures) Bill 2023 be reported, and the question that the Senate not insist on its amendments be proposed from the chair and be put immediately;

(d) divisions may take place after 4.30 pm for the purposes of the bills and consideration of the message only;

(e) after the consideration of the bills and the message has concluded, general business be considered till not later than

5.30 pm; and

(f) the sitting of the Senate then be suspended till the ringing of the bells (at approximately 8 pm).

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the amendment as moved by Senator Gallagher to add four bills to the motion be agreed to.

David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that the question be put separately on each of the four bills in the amendment circulated by Senator Gallagher.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President. I thought that this brave new world of Labor-Green politics was going to deny me that opportunity too. We previously supported motions to ensure appropriate consideration and scrutiny of these time critical bills by Senate committees. But what we're seeing here, in relation to the addition of these four bills to the motion at the very last moment, with senators being asked to make a decision without having been given notice of it, is some new level of chaos in this place.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's discourteous.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I agree with Senator Henderson's interjection. The lack of courtesy being shown to this place is really something that the government ought to reflect on when it comes to seeking to provide the Senate with opportunities to actually do its job and scrutinise this legislation.

I put on record the fact that we are very, very dissatisfied with how the government is conducting itself, not only seeking to ram things through in a time that is unacceptable but giving us such little notice to be able to consider them.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that (v), the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Legislation Amendment (Safety and Other Measures) Bill 2024, be included in the amendment as moved by Senator Gallagher.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that (vi), the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard Bill 2024 and the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2024, be included in the amendment as moved by Senator Gallagher.

David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we're seeing here is selling Australians out—the Labor Party with some ridiculous omnibus bill which takes important changes off the back of the PWC scandal and puts them with a dud deal for Australians when it comes to the export of our gas. They should be ashamed of themselves. You're selling us out. You're telling people on JobSeeker, youth allowance, all these other social security payments, 'Stay in poverty. We can't afford to help you guys, sorry.'

We don't have the money to do it and at the same time we're not collecting anything from our offshore gas. Hundreds of billions of dollars of LNG gets exported and today there is not a cent of petroleum resource rent tax. We'll hear people cry, 'Well, they're paying corporate tax.' They've minimised it below one per cent in recent years. This is embarrassing. More Australians need to know what you're doing. You're selling us out.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Accountability and Fairness) Bill 2023 be included in the amendment as moved by Senator Gallagher.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards and Other Measures) Bill 2023 be included in the amendment as moved by Senator Gallagher.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will now put Senator Gallagher's amendment to the routine of hours variation, and that includes the bills from (v) through to (viii). I will remind senators that I have been lenient this time, but there was no change in the vote on any of those four bills and so the proper course of action is there should have been no division between the bills. But a division is required on the amendment.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a one-minute statement.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is leave granted? Leave is granted for one minute.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Here we are in a budget week, and we could be in Moscow or we could be in any other communist country. You've seen the green bells for the other place ringing all morning. And why was the House of Reps voting all morning? It was to shut down debate on the new vehicle efficiency standard so that no-one in that chamber who is supporting the bill or not supporting the bill could have their say. And here we are again, with the Labor Party putting this bill into their guillotine motion so that no-one in this chamber gets to have a say on the biggest change to our transport sector since we got rid of the horse and cart. This is what weak leaders do when they are afraid. They're afraid of dissent, afraid of different ideas, and it's so typical that they got into bed with the Greens. (Time expired)